Zechariah 6:9 Commentary and Bible Study

This last part of chapter 6 gives us either a ninth vision, or something that was literally carried out but with symbolic significance. Four new arrivals come from Babylon. They are rich princes, who have come out of the Babylonian captivity, and are resident in Jerusalem or the area, and they are going to contribute from their riches to make two crowns for Joshua, the son of Josedech, and Joshua is going to be crowned with two crowns. The meaning of the crowns is obvious and it is explained as the verses go on. One is the priesthood and the other is the kingship. Now priest and king were never combined in Judah of old: God kept them distinct. There was the priesthood and there was the royal line, and no single individual belonged to both. The royal line was the line of David, and the priesthood came from the sons of Aaron: two distinct offices. Only in Christ would they be united. He would be prophet, priest, and king, three offices combined. So this is going to be a picture of Christ, and the Zechariah is told to do a demonstration before the people, a kind of crowning of Joshua, and he would wear two crowns. This would be a picture of how, one day, God would combine kingship with the priesthood in the coming of Christ.